De-influencing thread - reasons why NOT to buy things

[Whowhatwerewolf]

Like quite a few people on here I have been trying to reduce or eliminate buying new clothes or beauty treats in 2026. For the most part I've failed miserably but I'm going to keep trying. One thing that helps me greatly is being de-influenced from a purchase. Unfortunately I'm very easily influenced by advertisements but my saving grace is that I can be easily dissuaded from buying things also.

Recently two lovely posters (@Johanna and @Cortietat ) managed to stop me from buying overpriced Sweaty Betty pilates socks and a potentially somewhat wonky Eribé fair isle cardigan respectively by telling me what wasn't so great about these items. I'm so appreciative as this has saved me heaps of money. So I was wondering whether anyone else has anything they'd liked to be talked out of purchasing?

The idea is to post something on this thread that you're considering buying despite trying to save money via a no buy or low buy commitment or simply because you're not sure about a purchase. Other posters respond to say why you shouldn't buy. If anyone thinks what you're considering getting is the best thing since sliced bread and you should definitely proceed they keep quiet about it please as this isn't the thread for that.

So...is anyone in?

Me too, I love slagging things off

I should be on every thread doing this.

Actually I mainly am.

@Spaceandco and @Snugglemonkey, I asked my hair dresser about the Dyson and he said that he thought it was overpriced, a lot of people don't get on with it, and, as I already had LOTS of ways to dry/straighten/curl my hair, none of which I use that successfully or consistently, was I REALLY going to use it, particularly as it has a steep learning curve? (No).
It is also difficult to get your roots in, so you might end up with a non-styled bit at the top of your hair, which just looks odd. Or you have to dry that bit separately.
He did say that, if I really wanted the air-wrap technology, to get the Shark one. But that I don't need it.
Honestly, how many other hair things have you bought, convinced that, with this tool your hair will look as if it has just been professionally blow-dried. For me, the answer to this is MANY. And none of them have been that great.

About everyone seeming to have Mulberry bags here on MN....I've seen your name lots over the years and I know that you know most of the stuff posted here is bollocks. Including claims of bag ownership.

You are an intelligent woman who knows her own mind and is not influenced by what other people have. You need a bag you can feel great about and you are not going to feel good about it if you spend too much money. I'm sure you could get a great bag for under £300.

😂

@Carandache18, Guerlain L'Heure Bleu smells like a mixture between cats wee and parma violet sweets on me. Maybe it will smell like that on you too?

Looks like the jackets they used to give you to wear in supermarkets when you’re restocking the freezer section. In fact I think I might even be thinking of M&S 🤔 They’re selling off their old uniforms!

It's made of Polyamide which doesn't breathe and the whole thing is 100% plastic. It's essentially a quilted bin bag, although at least a bin bag is waterproof.

I nearly bought this and it makes me look like I’m wearing a tablecloth - I’m not sure who it’s supposed to fit, the stitching is odd!

@Goldpanther I think this was VW's inspiration for that skirt:

Either that or they dyed and remodelled an over-supply of quilted mattress protectors.

Because it looks like she has tied a teatowel around her waist?

You only need a lot of magnesium if you photosynthisise. Are you a plant?

I don't like the finish at the back - it's lifting/rising on the back left leg. I'm not saying that it will look like that on you and when you're moving about, but I can't unsee it.

I scrolled through the whole thread to see if a decision had been made on the cat--please tell me Pirate has been made a member of your family now?

I’m strongly considering buying the Phillips Lumea 9900. I’ve got very pale skin, very dark hair and hate shaving, I get such a bad shaving rash so feel like it would work for me but it’s soooo expensive. Tell me their older ranges are almost as good!

I’m crying laughing at all of the de-influencing comments.

I wish I could take you with me to craft stores, you’d make my DH very happy

Why not buy a cheap used older one on Ebay and see if it works at all and if it does invest in a better one if you can afford it?

I have a few Mulberry bags. They used to be really good quality and nice. Now most of them are crap and not made in the UK. The leather is cheaper they don’t last and everyone seems to have them. You can also get one a lot cheaper than £400 at one of the outlets depending on the style you want. A couple of years ago I bought 2 of the same style tote bags, in different colours. I got them from the outlet at £250 each. One of them I use as my day to day bag and the other is still in its dust bag unused at the bottom of my wardrobe. The one I’m using is now scratched and the handle stitching is coming apart. You also need to protect them if you use it in the rain because water stains mark them. Who can be arsed to be boating a bag every few months with some leather cream? Not me!!

Another of mine is a smaller clutch Mulberry with a gold chain shoulder strap. It annoys the hell out of me because it never stays on my shoulder.

I’ve also seen much nicer bags for a lot less money that I can’t even justify buying because I have a boring crappy quality Mulberry tote unused and feel like I must use it as my next bag so
please go and buy one of the nicer bags that I can’t justify buying.

@Goldpanther - I recently bought a dress from Vivenne Westwood diffusion line (ie the same strata of the Vivenne Westwood brand as this skirt, I think). Admittedly it was from Vestaire, so not full price. It had similar ruching/pleating as this skirt. I was taken aback at how cheap the material felt, and how lacking in structure it was, because the lining and finishing wasn't adequate to support this kind of technically complex cut. Even though it was a bargain in comparison to full price, I sent it back.
Different if you're buying Vivienne Westwood couture or bridal, as I imagine the quality of fabric and workmanship would be better. But the diffusion line is absolutely not worth it. £550 for this? No f**king way!

I’ve got one and have the same hair and skin tone as you. It didn’t work! I bought the latest model too thinking it would be great and it’s been sat in a drawer for over a year while I take my razor in to the shower instead.

I’m good at this thread, I can put a lot of you off buying stuff due to the amount of things I buy then regret. I need to learn from it though.

Stayed in an air bnb with one of those taps (but just hot water, not sparkling). Found the mechanism slightly tricky to use, and if you didn't get it right you risked a prompt scalding from the super-hot water. Decided then and there I'd never bother getting one.

Dunno about Elevate collagen but I went for a consultation with a leading gym in London, type of place where they put you on a programme where you train and eat like an athlete for 3 months, and go through an astounding physical transformation. I asked them why they didn't use scales like Hume Health to track client's progress and they said they're just not accurate, and are therefore waste of time. At a gym like that, they use fat calibers – a bit grimly old school, but more accurate.

Only a proper Dexa scan, for which you'd need to go to a clinic and pay decent money, would give you the kind of accurate data spectrum you'd be hoping for. Not a souped-up bathroom scale like HH.

I don't have anything on my wishlist right now (give it 5 minutes!) but I just know this thread is going to be my saviour.

I am also a bitter old hag so can endlessly shit-talk anything on other peoples' lists. Plus I'm in another time zone so I'm here for you all should the shopping urge strike in the wee hours.

Huge thanks to you for starting it @Whowhatwerewolf , may it live on forever.

Any "Gel nails as good as you can get in a salon" kit.

I have a top quality set up, my sister is a spa manager who has to keep up with this stuff so I get her (very new and expensive) cast offs. You really wont get professional quality manicures unless you have been properly trained, or atleast not unless you are ambidextrous!

If you are right handed then your left nails will look perfect and your right nails "will be ok" and vice versa if you are left handed.

There is a reason why so many nail set ups are cheap on marketplace!

Oh and dont do acrylics at home....in fact dont do them at all because they wreck your nails, but home done acrylics are far far more damaging.